Meaningful Monday: Stop Waiting For Perfection

by Polly N on April 30, 2012

I’ve decided to introduce a new segment to the blog called “Meaningful Monday” where each week I will share with you an image, picture or quote or just something that I want to discuss in order to prompt you to think about life, your soul purpose or just spin a different perpective on things. I find that it’s so easy to get caught up in the day-to-day doing that “being” takes second place. So this segment will act as a reminder to take a back seat from doing, connect with your higher self and have an awareness that you are so much more than what you think you are. Well that’s the plan anyway….let’s see how it pans out!

This is a great reminder for me to quit waiting until I have a, b or c to be happy. We have become accustomed to a fast-paced life where acquiring more stuff, a better job title, a bigger house and more money can leave us feeling dissatisfied with what we have right now.It’s fine to want these things and to work towards attaining them but it’s even more important to be happy now, while we work on the other stuff. Our mind likes to label things as ‘good’ and ‘bad’ and as long as we are projecting into the future looking at what we want and saying “I will be happy when….”, we will always be discontent with now.

For me this shows up in a few ways by my mind telling me:

“…when I’m cancer free I can be happier”

“…when Im living in my dream house with my future hubby, I will finally be content.”

“…when the cancer has gone, I can finally do a,b and c.”

Yes, I do have these thoughts but they are just that – thoughts. And thoughts are temporary: they come and go and we have little control over them. When we let this moment be enough, exactly as it is, it becomes perfect. It’s often our resistance to what is happening right now, as our mind labels it as “bad” that causes us anxiety, upset, pain and hurt.

What to do when your mind tells you that life sucks and that you can only be happy when….

1. Breathe - When you notice yourself worrying about the future or lamenting on the past, take a few deep breaths to bring you back into the present moment. Marvel on how wonderful it is that your heart just keeps beating and your breath just keeps moving.

2. GrAttitude – Have an attitude of gratitude and list 5 things you are grateful for. This brings you back to now, takes you up the emotional scale towards happiness and raises your vibrational frequency.

3. Affirmations – You might think these are a bit woo woo but try before you judge. Positive affirmations are powerful statements that can help to rewire your brain so that your reality begins to match your desires. Cool huh! Check out my review of a book that is jam packed with affirmations to help you heal past emotions. At first they may feel unnatural and you might have to fake it to make it, but stick with it and you’ll start to feel a shift. Need some help adding affirmations to your life? Check out these from Hay House authors.

4. Notice Nature – Just this morning, although I was feeling pretty exhausted, I took great pleasure in staring out of my bedroom window and just watching the trees blowing in this very stormy April weather. I focussed in on a bird soaring above the trees and in an instant I felt better. Cloud watch, tree-hug, dog walk , barefoot grass-walk – do whatever it takes to connect back to the earth and remind yourself of your true essence.

5. Get a Plan – While the first 3 points help to bring you back to the present moment and appreciate all that is, a practical step will also help move you in the direction of the things you desire and the things your mind tells you that you want. And that’s okay! It’s absolutely fine to want better things but rather than be a Moany Minnie about how things suck, take 1 action step a day to move you towards what you want. It’s much more empowering and helps to boost your positivity.

What does your mind tell you you need to be, have or do before you can be happy, content, joyful or do a,b or c?

Great post, I’m sharing this one. The graphic is exactly the advice I need and the bullet points are excellent, too. A related one I heard early today is “Life doesn’t have to be perfect to be wonderful.” If you wait for perfection, you’ll never notice the good parts along the way.

I have to say that it is annoying when I’m reading your site, the ads on the left & right of the screen cover your blog! Is it my computer setting or yours? I really want to read something & it is blocked out by the ads!
Everything you write about I feel & go through as well. I feel it is part of the healing process, all the ups & downs. Keep on keeping on. Love to you

Hello, I’m Polly…

About Me..

I am a lifestyle advisor, coach, wellness writer & foodie passionate about helping people to take back the reins on their health by living more consciously so that they can become their healthiest, happiest self.

I love to get up and talk in front of people to inspire and motivate them to make positive changes in their life. Having had cancer twice before the age of 28, I was forced to reevaluate my life and now I am keen to share the information I have learned from my studies at The Institute for Integrative Nutrition and from my own personal experience.

I am co-author of "The Cancer Journey - Positive Steps To Help Yourself Heal" - the go-to handbook for anyone with a diagnosis, hailed by The Telegraph as 'an excellent book to read'. Available from www.thecancerjourneybook.com or Amazon.

Mission Statement...

To inspire others to live a happier and healthier life and to do everything in their power to achieve this in every moment so they can live a life they love. www.theconsciouslifeguide.com

Recent Posts

Disclaimer

The information shared in this blog is based on my own personal healing journey which is intended to educate and inform the reader. This is not a prescription and we insist that you consult your own doctor or healthcare provider to determine the best course of treatment for you and your condition.